THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
CHAPTER 3: GLOBAL INTERSTATE SYSTEM AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
1st Semester | A.Y. 2025-2026 | BSBA – 2I
INTRODUCTION
Is the idea of the nation-state outdated in the contemporary world? If so, what is
it that we need to think about as “replacements”? In this lesson, we will look at
worldwide organization of states. This manifests the efforts of countries and
governments in the world to cooperate and collaborate together. Multinational
corporations and non-governmental organizations are significant organizations that
put into question the strength of national autonomy and global politics.
UNITED NATIONS
The United Nations (UN) serves as the primary organization for
international cooperation, peace and security.
It was created in 1945 by the Allied Powers, the victors of the
Second World War.
PRIMARY CONCERN:
Collective military security through the facilitation of peaceful settlement of disputes
among member-states or by commanding allegiance of the entire UN membership;
sanctions.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
To ensure peace and order, the UN as an organization can be a conflict actor in itself
or an instrument for action driven by the interests of particular state.
Representatives of 50 countries convened at the United Nations Conference on
International Organization, more commonly known as the San Francisco
Conference, to draw up the United Nations Charter.
SIX PRINCIPAL ORGANS
1. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL (ECOSOC)
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
To advance the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable
development.
Composed of 54 elected members by the General Assembly for overlapping three-
year terms
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
CHAPTER 3: GLOBAL INTERSTATE SYSTEM AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
1st Semester | A.Y. 2025-2026 | BSBA – 2I
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) are specialized agencies
and independent organizations that are affiliated with the UN.
2. TRUSTEESHIP COUNCIL
- The main organ of the UN to provide international supervision of Trust
Territories that are under the administration of seven member-states, to ensure
that adequate steps are being made to prepare the peoples of Trust Territories
for self-governance.
3. INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE (ICJ)
- It is the United Nation’s principal judicial organ. Its role is to settle legal disputes
between states and to provide advisory opinions on legal questions referred by
the UN organs, and specialized agencies
4. SECURITY COUNCIL (SC)
- It is the most potent organ with the power to make legally binding resolutions.
COMPOSITION:
Composed of 15 members
Five Permanent Members (PM) or Permanent Five (P-5): China, France, Great
Britain, Russia, and the United States
Ten elected non-permanent members (NPM) elected by the General Assembly
(GA) for overlapping two-year terms
- Ten non-permanent seats are divided among regions:
o five states from African and Asian states
o one seat from the Eastern European States
o two states from Latin American states
o last two from Western European and other States
Under Article 24 of UN Charter the Security Council is mandated to act on behalf
of the entire UN body to fulfill its primary responsibility for maintaining
international peace and security.
FUNCTIONS OF SECURITY COUNCIL:
o Investigate any situation that has the potential of creating international tensions
o Call for military action towards an aggressor or threat
o Impose economic sanctions and other measures
o Determine the existence of a breach of peace and actions to be pursued
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
CHAPTER 3: GLOBAL INTERSTATE SYSTEM AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
1st Semester | A.Y. 2025-2026 | BSBA – 2I
The structural feature on the SC serves as a measure to protect states
from possible threats to independence and to ensure that the UN will not
be used to serve the interest of particular states.
The structural feature of the UN Charter- veto is a result of an international
compromise allied powers of Second World War.
The P-5 also act outside the UN Charter and undermine the interest of the
larger UN Body. The over representation and power concentration has
resulted in demands to reform the
structure of the SC, which dramatically serves and benefits of the interests
of the P-5.
To maintain peace and order, the SC adopts a set of instruments such as
sanctions, peacekeeping, and peace enforcement.
UN peacekeepers are deployed to provide security to populations and
political and peace building support to countries transition from conflict to
peace.
5. GENERAL ASSEMBLY (GA)
- It is the only organ with universal representation, with all 193 members states
represented in the body.
- The GA decides on essential questions with a simple majority, while concerns
related to peace and security, budgetary matters, and new membership
admissions require a two-thirds majority.
- The GA meets for annual General Assembly Session and general debate
participated by several heads of state. The body elects a GA President and 21
Vice President every session for one-year term.
6. SECRETARIAT
- Secretary- General is the chief administrative of the UN Secretariat. In Article
97, the SC sends a recommendation to the GA which will appoint the
Secretary- General for two five-year terms at most.
Antonio Guterres
- the incumbent Secretary General of the United Nations
Article 99 mandates the Secretary
General to call for the attention of the members of the SC on
threats to international peace and security, or when the inability of
SC members to be responsive or to take responsibility is present.
Reforming the United nations
THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD
CHAPTER 3: GLOBAL INTERSTATE SYSTEM AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
1st Semester | A.Y. 2025-2026 | BSBA – 2I
- Reform has only been met once in 1963 when the UNGA voted for the
expansion of the UNSC from 11-15 member-states (UNGA Resolution of 1963).
- Reforms have long been raised to change the structure of the security Council
to distribute the concentration of power and to foster inclusive decision making
for marginalized and excluded member-states.